Dark Star

Ratings & Reviews

Ratings & Reviews

In my opinion this is one of Carpenter's most appealing films. The trash atmosphere - resulting from an extremely low budget - is compensated by an inventive grasp on the subject with many ironical and philosophical moments. And there are some nice details like the voice and the design of the computer as well as the voice of the bomb (resembling Kubrick's HAL 9000).

It is pitched as a sci-fi spoof, but the roots of a fine horror director are visible here. I feel like Monty Python might have been a strong influence. It also contains quite a few elements that might have inspired certain things in Star Wars...

(35mm, Version Française) Oui, I saw this Z-movie in a very good print where unfortunately everyone spoke French. Tried to imagine the original English version, probably not great either. Nevertheless, the philosophical argument between Doolittle and the Bomb might be funnier and more convincing in French, "Je pense donc je suis," says the Bomb, like Descartes before it. It could have been a good sci-fi comedy Short.

Fun but too puerile. Obviously the "2001" ironic revision - the talk about phenomenology with the computer, which clearly exposes the mentioned movie's presumption - and the surfing towards death, are moments of great imagination but, in general, has become a film that, though indicative of some of Carpenter's later paths, "aged" badly.

Carpenter's first film, it was made while he was in university for $50,000. It's kind of a dark humour sci fi flick with Dan O'Bannon (the writer of Alien) as one of the actors in the film. There are some pretty funny moments, like a bomb who thinks he's god for instance. Basically its just a student film, not the greatest thing but you can see the beginnings of a cult horror director.

Just like Sam Raimi did a few years later with 'Evil Dead', Carpenter started his filmmaking with very few resources, yet a lot of wit and creativity. I wouldn't call 'Dark Star' his most impressive work, but definitely one of the high points of his career. What he did with so little really blew me away. Carpenter fans and sympathizers can't miss this.